


when we all fall asleep where do we go

by Anonymous



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Obsession, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Thriller, Sleep Paralysis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2019-11-15 08:50:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18070250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: What are you wondering? What do you know?Why do you care for me?When we all fall asleep, where do we go?Ten feels more than he probably should for his friend.





	1. Intro

Ten felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest as he walked the wooded pathway of the park near his apartment near the outskirts of town. He had an appointment to keep, and he didn’t know if it would go the way he hoped. He’d prepared, of course, thinking of every possible scenario and getting ready everything he needed. He was still scared, though. What if something happened that he hadn’t thought of? What if there was something crucial that he’d neglected to arrange for? This meeting was far too important for even a single thing to go wrong. This meeting would set up the rest of his life as he knew it.

Finally, Ten broke through the line of trees, late afternoon sunlight brightening the path before him. And there, on the bench set off the path, was the person he was set to meet.

Lee Taeyong.

He wasn’t looking in Ten’s direction, facing the other way, but with just a second’s glance at him, Ten’s world quieted. His heart was no longer going wild, his breath calm and even. All of the worries that had filled Ten’s mind just moment’s before were gone, replaced by peaceful surety of his plan.

This was good. He had to be calm and collected for it all to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very short intro just to lay the groundwork for this fic. This will be the only chapter from Ten's point of view, the rest will be from Taeyong's (I think).
> 
> Have a listen to bury a friend by Billy Eilish and you might get some spoilers of what's to come! Share your theories with me!


	2. Where are we?

Taeyong woke groggily to the soft hum of a car’s engine and the sensation of movement underneath him. When he opened his eyes, the world was rushing past him behind the passenger side window.

He looked around, startled, to find Ten sitting beside him, his hands on the wheel of a car.

“Ten? Where are we?”

Ten smiled, eyes darting to Taeyong for just a moment.

“We’re in my car,” he answered simply.

“I don’t — why — did I faint? I was waiting for you like you said…”

“Yes, you were being very good, thank you Taeyong.”

Taeyong blushed in confusion. Ten had never spoken to him like that before. Sure, he would compliment him on his looks whenever they met up, or gush praise at him when he showed him the songs he was writing in his little notebook, but this was… this was  _ different _ . He wasn’t sure if he should feel pleased or embarrassed.

“Where are we?” he tried again. “Are you taking me to the hospital?”

“The hospital?” This made Ten really look at him, his laughter abruptly filling the car. “No, Yongie, we’re not going to the hospital.”

Taeyong waited for Ten to continue, but he just turned back to the road. Taeyong’s confusion grew. The last thing he remembered was sitting on a bench in the park, waiting for Ten to meet him. The younger had texted him that he had something important to show him, but Taeyong can’t remember him ever showing up. So he must have passed out before Ten had arrived, right?

Only, he knew he felt fine before, and Ten said that they weren’t going to the hospital, so what was going on? Taeyong didn’t recognize any of the landmark’s whizzing past him as they winded down the small 2-lane highway.

“Ten,” he said, his confusion creeping into his voice. “Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you someplace really special. Be good and don’t ask questions until we get there, okay? You’ll spoil the surprise.”

There he went again, talking about Taeyong being good like he was a child. Maybe it was some new lingo he’d picked up off Drag Race? Taeyong had never watched the show, so he was often totally confused by the things Ten said until he explained them. He’d figure it out later, after he stopped being confused about where he was going.

“Is it what you wanted to show me earlier?”

Ten’s smile was brighter than the sun. “Uh-huh! No spoilers though, I mean it!” he chirped. 

Before Taeyong could say anything else, he launched right into a new story about the music agency that he worked at. Ten always had some new piece of gossip whenever Taeyong saw him, about his coworkers or bosses or the singers that they were auditioning or working with. It was amazing sometimes how much information he took in from the things around him; Taeyong was almost positive he’d be able to talk for hours if you really let him.

Comforted by the chatter that had become a staple of his and Ten’s interactions, Taeyong let himself relax into the passenger seat as they traveled further and further into the countryside. He laughed and giggled at Ten’s dramatic recountings of the events that had taken place in the studio and the secrets he’d overheard, his worries and concerns drifting further and further into the back of his mind.

The longer the two drove, the wider Ten’s grin seemed to get, and the brighter his eyes sparkled. His tales got wilder and wilder, leaving Taeyong in stitches as he gestured crazily with one hand, the other steering them ever farther from the city where they both lived. 

Taeyong was so happy to see his friend like this. Lately Ten had been somewhat distant and distracted, never feeling like he was all the way present when he and Taeyong met up, and texting Taeyong far less than he usually did. It was a relief to see him acting bright and bubbly again.

Still, Taeyong couldn’t help but wonder where Ten was taking him. The sun was already touching the horizon in front of them, so it must have been hours since Ten had texted him to meet up. He wanted so badly to question Ten again, but the younger man hardly ever requested anything of him, and he didn’t want to ruin his surprise if Ten truly wanted to keep it a secret.

Ten must have noticed his anxious shifting, because he reached out to grip at Taeyong’s forearm.

“I can tell you want to ask me about your surprise, don’t you?” he asked, smirking so Taeyong knew he wasn’t mad.

“Yeah…” Taeyong admitted. “I won’t though! I know you said no spoilers.”

“You’re being so patient, thank you Yongie!” Ten smiled cutely, pinching at the fat of Taeyong’s cheek. “I’ve been working so hard on this, I really want you to love it.”

“I’m sure I will if you’ve put this much thought into it,” Taeyong reassured him.

Ten beamed another one of his blinding smiles, bouncing slightly in his seat.

“I’m so excited Yongie, you have no idea.”

Taeyong couldn’t help but smile back as Ten wiggled with excitement. It was obvious how much this meant to him, Taeyong hoped he would love it as much as Ten wanted him to.

Eyes trained on the darkening sky above them, Ten patted Taeyong’s knee.

“Why don’t you go to sleep? I still have some more driving to do.”

“That’s okay Tennie I’m not that tired.”

Ten’s eyes went tight in the corners, but he still smiled over at Taeyong.

“You should sleep, honey, okay? I want you wide awake when we get there so you can appreciate my surprise. Here, I’ll help you relax!”

Abruptly, Ten’s hand was on Taeyong’s neck, rubbing firmly at the base of his skull just behind his ear. Taeyong grunted at the sudden pressure, but found his eyes already slipping closed.

“Wait, Ten,” he spluttered, but Ten just rubbed harder, and within the next second Taeyong’s world was fading out.


	3. Don't you like it?

Taeyong dreamed of dirt.

Heavy, wet dirt, raining down onto his face, falling into his eyes and mouth so he couldn’t see or scream or do anything besides let it happen.

_“Taeyong!”_

He tried to lift his hands to brush the dirt away, but they were stuck at his sides, unable to move under the weight of the earth on top of them.

_“Yongie!”_

He was trapped, he was trapped, and he couldn’t breathe couldn’t breathe couldn’t _breathe —_

“TAEYONG!”

Suddenly he snapped awake, Ten shaking him roughly with his hands on his shoulders. As soon as he saw that Taeyong’s eyes were open, he let go, his face morphing instantly into a pleased, excited smile.

“You’re awake!” he squealed. “Look! Look, Yongie, we’re here!”

Taeyong could barely see _anything_ in the darkness that surrounded the car. The tiny crescent moon was high in the night sky, but it’s light was so weak that all it illuminated in the darkness left from Ten’s extinguished headlights were the tops of the trees surrounding them.

“We’re in the woods?” Taeyong asked blearily, confused and strangely exhausted.

“Not just the woods, silly baby, I got us a little house!”

Suddenly, Ten turned and darted off, yelling for Taeyong to wait where he was as he ran into the darkness. Then, a light appeared ahead of Taeyong.

The warm yellow light illuminated a little porch, and Taeyong could see then that there _was_ a little house, hard to make out in the barely-there light of the sliver of moon. Letting out a happy yell, Ten raced from the porch back to Taeyong’s side of the car, breathless with excitement.

“Well?” he asked. “What do you think?”

Taeyong stood slowly, squinting through the dark to try to make out the house’s features.

“I’m sure it’s really pretty when the sun’s out Tennie. It’s yours?”

Ten nodded eagerly.

“I want it to be _ours_ though, Yongie. Our special place to relax and unwind and be ourselves together.” He sighed happily. “Doesn’t it sound so perfect?”

Taeyong couldn’t bring himself to be as ecstatic as Ten, too caught off guard by what he was saying.

“Ours?” he questioned. “Like…”

Ten faltered for a moment. “Like a fun little retreat! I know you get stressed a lot, sweetie. I just meant I didn’t want anyone else to know cuz then they’d get jealous.” By the end of his sentence, Ten’s normal teasing smirk was back. “I guess that sounded like weird wording, huh? I’m just _so_ excited to be here finally.”

Ah, of course Taeyong had jumped to conclusions. This was just the way Ten talked, he should be used to it by now.

“Mm, me too, I’m so tired. A relaxing retreat sounds like exactly what I need.”

“See? I know you so well, don’t I.”

Ten pulled him up the drive to the front door, only pausing to fish his keys out of his pocket. He flipped on the lightswitch to the front hall as soon as the door closed behind them. Taeyong looked around the little space as the lock clunked into place.

The rough stuccoed walls were a greyish-yellowish color, though Taeyong couldn’t tell if it was just because of the dim light above them, or if the paint was actually that color. The dark wood baseboards looked a little scuffed, but at least the matching floor had gotten a good sweep.

“I cleaned before so you wouldn’t have to worry your pretty little head about any dirt.” Ten said as he watched Taeyong look around. Taeyong smiled gratefully at him.

Grinning back, Ten led him to the stairs a few steps in front of them, covered in the most lurid orange carpet Taeyong had ever seen.

“I’ll show you to your room first, so you can get some good rest. I got you some new sheets and a really pretty comforter so you’ll be all cozy—” Ten chattered as Taeyong followed behind him up the narrow staircase. The same odd-colored walls continued up to the second floor, bare of any decorations and feeling slightly lonely, and the ugly orange carpet stretched up over the top of the stairs and all the way down the hallway. Ten and Taeyong’s footsteps were muffled as they walked towards the back of the house, passing a few rooms with their doors all shut, so Taeyong couldn’t see inside.

“—and here it is!”

Ten stopped in front of the last door in the hallway, throwing it open with a flourish and a gesture for Taeyong to go first. Taeyong felt his eyes widen as he saw the room inside.

The entire room was done up in bright whites and soft pinks, tiny bows and understated ruffles on nearly every surface. A ginormous four-poster bed took up most of the space, hung with gauzy white curtains. It was piled high with a huge, white, fluffy comforter and a veritable mountain of pillows to match, all sewn up with bits of lace and miniscule pink bows. There was a vintage-looking dresser in the corner, painted white and topped with a white-framed mirror. It was lined with bottles that, when Taeyong walked closer, he could see were all high-end skin treatments and creams. The curtains on the window next to it mirrored the ones hanging over the bed, but were colored a light pink. The only light right now came from the soft glow of a lamp on a spindly bedside table, but Taeyong could tell the light from the window would be beautiful reflecting off all the bright whites. It was all entirely overwhelming, especially compared to the well-worn bits of the house that he had already seen.

Taeyong turned to look at Ten in shock, but the younger man was already bouncing over to the foot of the bed, where a small stack of clothes were laying. They too were pink.

“And look, sweetie,” he enthused, “I even bought new comfy pajamas for you!”

Ten picked up a cotton button-up shirt, printed all over with little cartoon bumble bees.

Taeyong blushed, once again at a loss of what to say. The things that Ten had prepared for him were very … cutesy, to say the least.

“What’s wrong, Yongie, don’t you like it?” Ten said, as if sensing his dismay. “Isn’t pink your favorite color? I thought it would make you happy.”

Taeyong’s heart dropped as he watched Ten’s face fall.

“I can change it all if you want,” Ten continued, peeking up at him, eyes shimmering. “I just really want you to like it.”

“No!” If there was one thing Taeyong _could not_ handle, it was tears. “Of course I like it, Tennie! I love it! I was just overwhelmed because I love it so much.”

Immediately, Ten’s face morphed into a blinding smile.

“Oh, I’m so happy!”

He bounded over to Taeyong and threw his arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly, before pressing the pajamas into his hands.

“Get changed quickly so you can jump in bed, okay?” He turned around, but didn’t leave the room.

Taeyong paused. “Ten?”

“I won’t peek, promise!”

Ten dutifully covered his eyes, and Taeyong let out a small sigh before stripping down his boxers and slipping into the soft cotton pajamas. He cleared his throat when he was done and Ten peeked between his fingers over his shoulder. He wiggled a little in apparent happiness, then held out his hands for Taeyong’s dirty clothes.

“I’ll take your clothes so you can get all snuggled in.”

He moved over to the closet as Taeyong climbed a bit awkwardly into the huge bed, and Taeyong glimpsed more clothes hanging up when he pulled the door back.

“Hamper’s in here for when you need it, ‘kay?”

Taeyong nodded when Ten turned back around and flounced back over to the bed. He helped him settle among the mounds of pillows and blankets, watching fondly until Taeyong was done wriggling and fluffing.

“There we go, all comfy?”

Taeyong nodded again, already feeling drowsy from the warmth surrounding him. “Thanks for bringing me all the way out here, Tennie. I can’t wait to look around and see how _—_ ” he broke off to yawn, “pretty everything is tomorrow.”

“Ah, my little baby is so cute!”

Taeyong blushed as Ten pinched his cheek and smoothed his hair over his forehead.

“Sleep well, Yongie. I’ll see you in the morning.”

After Ten had closed the door behind him, stayed awake for a little while longer, listening to the front door open and shut and Ten’s footsteps patter around as the younger man brought in whatever he had packed in his car for the trip here. Taeyong was truly surprised by the effort Ten had put into this little excursion, and how he had managed to keep it despite being the chatterbox Taeyong knew him as. He wondered faintly if Ten had packed any of his own things from home, but by then he was already fading into sleep, and by the next moment the thought was gone.

 

* * *

 

 

When Taeyong woke next, sunlight was streaming through the curtains of his window, lighting the soft pinks of the room and creating a warm glow. He stretched his limbs like a cat under the covers, letting himself sink more fully into the mattress for a second before sitting up. He wondered if Ten was already up, listening for a second but hearing nothing.

Curious, Taeyong padded out of his room, only to be met with a shock in the hallway. The space looked totally transformed, awful orange runner gone and replaced with a creamy off-white one, walls no longer dingy-looking but sparkling with a new coat of paint, and adorable prints or framed sayings hung between the doorways.

It was all so different.

Stunned, Taeyong was caught by the sudden irrational fear that he’d been moved to a different house. He ran down the hall to the stairs, calling for Ten, his voice panicky.

Just as he reached the top of the stairs, Ten’s head popped out of the doorway to the left, his eyes wide and startled.

“Yongie! What’s wrong?”

Taeyong’s breath left him in a rush, and he collapsed against the banister, feeling both incredibly relieved and highly embarrassed at how silly he had been.

“Oh, nothing Tennie,” he breathed out. “I woke up and didn’t hear you and got scared.”

Ten cooed as he climbed the stairs to take Taeyong in his arms. “Oh, my baby was scared, was he?”

Taeyong wriggled, extracting himself from Ten’s hold.

“Ten, stop, I’m already embarrassed,” he whined. Now that he was calming down, he was able to think about what had scared him in the first place.

“Tennie, I’m not going crazy am I? You changed everything?” he said.

Ten giggled and nodded.

“It looks much less grody now doesn’t it?” he asked, like it was nothing. Taeyong gaped in astonishment.

“Ten, you — Did you even sleep?”

“I think I probably caught a few winks,” Ten joked. Then he caught sight of Taeyong’s face. “What? I had a lot of energy and I just really wanted everything perfect for our first day.” Taeyong continued to stare disapprovingly. “It’s fiiiine Yongie, I swear I feel fine!”

Taeyong relented, leaning back. His friend was really amazing sometimes. He couldn’t imagine having all of the energy needed to pull something like this off. He’d redecorated the whole house! Now that he was thinking about it, he realized he hadn’t even really seen what the house looked like when Ten had brought him inside last night.

“Oh wait!” he gasped out, grinning at Ten before bounding down the stairs. Ten’s footsteps pounded behind him, but he thought nothing of it until his hand came crashing down onto his arm to yank him back from reaching for the door.

“Where are you going?!”

“Ow! I was gonna go outside to look at the house!”

“You can’t go outside!” Ten all but shouted. He looked strangely panicked.

“What?” Taeyong tried to make him let go of his arm, but the younger man’s fingers were like stone around his arm. “Why not?”

“Because I — because I wanted you to make breakfast,” he suddenly pouted, his lower lip sticking out in an expression that was all too familiar to Taeyong. Besides gossiping, pouting was probably one of Ten’s favorite activities. “You know I’m a terrible cook.”

Taeyong let all of the fight go out of him.

“Oh, is that all,” he teased as he was dragged into the kitchen. “In that case, Chef Taeyong at your service!”

Ten giggled. “I like the sound of that.”


	4. You think so?

Breakfast was relaxed and giggly as Taeyong cooked up waffles in the shiny new waffle maker Ten had put in the kitchen. The room itself was cheerful and bright, the walls painted a buttery yellow and the window over the sink sporting a valence of adorable chicken-printed fabric. Taeyong brought their plates over to the natural wood table and sat down on one of the chairs whose cushions matched the fabric of the valence. Their conversation flowed naturally, if a bit slowly with the way they were stuffing their waffles into their mouths.

“Did you know that the color yellow makes people more hungry?” Ten asked absentmindedly as he drizzled more syrup onto his plate.

Taeyong shook his head, looking around at the sunny walls. “Really? That’s cool.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s subconsciously why people tend to paint their kitchens yellow, so that you’ll feel hungry when you’re in them.”

Sounds of chewing filled the small space for a moment before Ten spoke again.

“I always thought it was cute that you liked pink too,” he said, “since it’s supposed to represent warmth and comfort and calm people down when they’re feeling emotional.”

He smiled at Taeyong, scrunching up his nose. “It’s so fitting for our get-away place, don’t you think?”

Now Taeyong felt even more like shit for reacting badly to his room last night. He’d obviously just been trying to make someplace relaxing and enjoyable for Taeyong to stay, and all that Taeyong had been able to think about was that it was girly. He should have known Ten would have considered how the colors of the room would play into their emotions; he was such a deep thinker.

“Absolutely perfect, Tennie,” he said, making him beam. “Will you show me around the rest of the house? I want to see what else you’ve got in store.”

Ten just laughed, pulling Taeyong up from the table by his elbow.

“Don’t worry, baby, I’ve got plenty.”

Excited, Taeyong let him tug him into the hall to start his parade of rooms. They began in the living room across from the kitchen, taken up by a squishy-looking sectional and big bookcases filled with novels and DVDs. The decently-sized TV hung above a fireplace that looked like it took real logs and that Taeyong couldn’t wait to try out. Down the hall past the staircase was a tiny little mudroom with a washer and dryer and shelves and hooks where they could put their shoes and jackets. Taeyong caught a glimpse of the wooded backyard through the windowed door, but was quickly distracted as Ten dragged him away to continue the tour.

Across from that room was what Ten said was the garage, but when the younger man opened the door, all Taeyong could see in the darkness were stacks of boxes. According to Ten, the string for the light was in the middle of the room, and it wasn’t really worth going out there just to have a look at some storage. Agreeing with him, Taeyong followed Ten back down the hallway, stopping to peek into the adorable little bathroom tucked under the stairs.

“The one upstairs is way nicer, I promise,” Ten apologized.

“It’s so cute, though!” Taeyong responded.

Ten laughed at Taeyong’s adorable demeanor and pulled at his wrist again, leading him up the stairs to the first door at the landing.

“This is my room!” he said, pushing the door open for Taeyong to step inside like he had done last night.

Ten’s room looked quite a lot more sophisticated than Taeyong’s, colored in soft grays and dark woods. The queen-sized bed against the far wall had a large, slatted headboard, making it look a bit imposing, but was balanced nicely by the solid bedside tables on either side. A matching armoire rested in the corner across from the bed, and the floor was covered in a gray and white circular rug that brought everything together.

“Oooo, Ten, this is _very_ you,” Taeyong teased, thinking about how true the statement was. Ten was always very well put together and fashionable, it was no doubt that the bedroom he had created for himself would be as well.

Ten giggled and swatted at Taeyong’s shoulder. “You think so?”

“Mmm, definitely. It fits your personality perfectly.” Taeyong paused, then added, “Just like mine!”

The way Ten’s face lit up was worth the little white lie thousands of times over. The younger man bounced happily in place before taking back up Taeyong’s hand and starting to tug him towards the end of the hallway.

“Wait, Tennie, what about this one?”

Taeyong dug in his heels a bit, pointing to the closed door across from Ten’s bedroom.

“Oh, that?” Ten stopped too, but his hold on Taeyong’s hand tightened. “It’s just more boxes and shit. I haven’t finished it yet.”

“Oh, okay.” Taeyong stepped away from the door and Ten’s grip loosened again. “Is it gonna be something special?”

Ten sent him something of a sideways smirk that made Taeyong’s chest seize for just a moment. “You’ll just have to wait and see won’t you?”

Weakly, Taeyong pinched at Ten’s ear. “You little demon.”

“C’mon, let’s see the _better_ bathroom now!”

Ten pulled Taeyong to the door across from his own bedroom that he somehow had not thought to try to open this morning. The room inside was amazingly spacious, even bigger than the two bedrooms. Taeyong looked around in amazement, taking in the big clawed bathtub and a massive separate shower stall. The shower was paneled in cedar planks until about waist height, then transitioned to glass above that. Ten walked to open the shower door and gestured for Taeyong to look inside.

“I had it modified into a personal sauna,” he said, pointing to the cedar plank benches along the walls of the stall. “Look, you just press this button here and the electric heater works under the benches. We can even do steam or dry heat since we already have the water connection for the shower head.”

“Wow, Tennie, oh my god! This is so cool! It’s just like a real spa!” Taeyong couldn’t help but start bouncing with excitement. “Oh my gosh, we’re going to have so much fun.”

Ten laughed at Taeyong’s antics, linking both their hands together and swinging them between their bodies.

“Definitely, baby.” He smiled so sweetly that Taeyong just had to smile back.

“Can I see the outside now?”

Ten’s smile grew sharper, and the skin between his eyebrows creased like he was confused and disappointed. “Didn’t you want to see what I had planned? I have a whole bunch of relaxing spa things for us to do.”

“Oh really? Okay then, I guess I can wait until later.”

Ten shrugged absently, his forehead smoothing out and his grin widening further. “Don’t worry, babe. I have so many things for us to do that you won’t even _want_ to go outside.”

Taeyong giggled at his friend’s playfulness. “You’re really setting my expectations high.”

There was a glint in Ten's eyes as he looked back at Taeyong.

“You know I don’t say anything I can’t follow up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait and for a bit of a short chapter. I was out of town visiting friends for a long weekend and it's taking me a bit to get back in the swing of things >.<
> 
> Anyways, I think I'm developing an M.O. of ending chapters with snappy one-liners from Ten :P
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	5. You promise?

True to Ten’s word, the rest of the week was filled with restful, relaxing activities. The two men fell into something of a routine, starting the morning with Taeyong cooking a filling breakfast before spending the day hanging out, sitting in the sauna, taking baths in the huge bathtub, or pampering each other with the multitude of skincare products that littered Taeyong’s dresser. In the evening, after another meal cooked by Taeyong, they’d sit in the living room and put a few logs on the fire to read or watch movies until it was time for bed.

Taeyong was slowly getting used to the frilly fabrics of his room, paying less attention to them as time went on, focusing instead on how soft and comfortable everything was. Even the sheer, feminine bed hangings bothered him less than they had to start. He now appreciated the way that they filtered the light coming in from the window in the morning, making it easier for him to wake up relaxed.

It was just … there were some things that just felt off. 

Like Taeyong’s clothes, for instance. After he and Ten had spent the a good part of the morning in the sauna that first day, Taeyong had gone to put his pajamas in his hamper, only to find that it was empty. He’d frozen for a minute as he’d tried to remember the previous night. Ten had definitely put the clothes he’d changed out of into the hamper before helping him get settled, hadn’t he? Taeyong had been almost certain he had, yet the clothes simply hadn’t been there.

Instead, as Taeyong had found as he’d looked around, his closet and dresser had been filled with clothes that Taeyong had never seen before, all looking brand new, right down to his underwear. He’d flushed in embarrassment and confusion at the idea of Ten knowing all of his sizes and shopping for him.

The clothes weren’t really the types of things that Taeyong tended to wear, either. Rather than his normal t-shirts and baggy pants that he wore when he wasn’t in his work clothes, there were cute oversized shirts and sweaters in pastel colors, paired with shorts that hardly went halfway down his thighs. To his extreme discomfort, there were even a pair of overall shorts in a bright purple color, which he made sure to stay far away from.

Still, Taeyong hadn’t really had it in his heart to complain to Ten. He was understanding more and more the true scope of what this “little getaway” had cost his friend, and he was more than reluctant to tell him that even one part of it wasn’t to his liking. So, he wore the clothes that had been provided for him, feeling a little uncomfortable but bearing it for the sake of Ten’s feelings.

Another strange thing was the windows. Every single one that Taeyong had seen was covered by bars, interrupting his view and striping the sunlight that filtered through them. When he’d brought it up to Ten, the younger man had explained it by telling him that the house had come that way to protect against wildlife, and that he hadn’t been able to remove them before bringing Taeyong over. 

What Taeyong thought was weird, though, was how new the bars looked. They shone when the light hit them, often blinding Taeyong from inside the room and forcing him to draw the curtains.

He knew, too, that Ten had spared no expense for the rest of the house, so why hadn’t he done so for the windows? Yet Taeyong hadn’t dared to question Ten on this either. Maybe  _ Ten _ was the one who was afraid of the wildlife, and he had lied about the bars because he was embarrassed. He had always been sensitive in his own way; sometimes it was impossible to say what would upset him. Things that were fine one day might set him on the warpath or reduce him to a puddle of tears the next. He usually tried to hide his feelings as much as possible, though, sometimes coming across downright cold where someone might normally expect an emotional response. Whatever Ten’s strange reactions tended to be, Taeyong loved his friend dearly, and usually tried to help him feel comfortable when they were together. 

The last straw, however, was Ten’s downright reluctance to let Taeyong go outside. Every time Taeyong had suggested it, Ten had brought up some excuse or distraction to make him forget for a little while, and it was driving Taeyong crazy.

Finally, on the fourth day of his and Ten’s vacation, he snapped.

He’d been fidgeting on the couch in the living room for the better part of an hour, unable to concentrate on the book he was trying to read, too distracted by the afternoon sun coming in through the barred window.

“Ugh, Ten!” he half shouted in frustration, making the younger man jump at his side. He swung his head around to fix his gaze on Taeyong, eyes wide.

“What is your problem with me going outside?”

Ten giggled awkwardly. “What do you mean, problem?”

“What, is it dangerous or something? Will I die instantly if I set foot out the door?”

“I — I — n-no —”

Taeyong was getting angry now. Why was Ten getting so flustered? Was simply  _ going outside _ so unreasonable?

“So it’s fine if I just step outside for a minute?” He stood abruptly, striding away from Ten to the front door.

“No, wait!! Yongie, NO!”

Taeyong’s arm was suddenly wrenched back, making him stumble backwards and fall heavily on the floor. Ten was standing over him. Taeyong caught sight of the blaze of anger in his eyes for just a split second before it flickered and they grew wide with horror.

“Fuck!” Taeyong cursed. “Ten, what the hell?”

“I’m sorry Yongie!”

Ten knelt at Taeyong’s side immediately, hands fluttering uselessly over his body. There were tears in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Yongie! I-I didn’t mean to!” He sobbed. “Are you hurt?”

Taeyong just shook his head, shocked at Ten’s actions, and let Ten pull him to his feet. Ten was still crying as he brought Taeyong back over to the couch.

“I’m really, r-really sorry,” he apologized again. “I didn’t — I didn’t — When you say you say you want to leave I get so  _ scared _ —”

All of a sudden, all of Taeyong’s feelings rushed back into his body. “Oh Tennie …”

How badly had he misread the situation? That Ten thought that him wanting to go outside meant that he wanted to leave … No wonder he kept trying to distract Taeyong.

He slipped his arms around Ten’s shaking shoulders, rubbing comforting circles into his back.

“Tennie, honey, I never wanted to leave. That wasn’t what I meant. I just wanted to walk around for a little bit, yeah? You know I’d always come back to you, right?”

Ten lifted his head, sniffling, and Taeyong wiped at his eyes.

“You mean it? You promise?”

“Of course, Tennie, I promise I won’t ever leave you.”

Ten sniffed again and carefully hugged Taeyong back.

“I’m sorry for overreacting,” he mumbled.

“It’s okay, honey.” Taeyong patted his back a few more times, hesitant to try asking again for Ten to let him outside, but feeling like he still needed the fresh air. Certainly Ten understood now, right?

“Um, Tennie?”

Ten hummed.

“Now that we’ve … cleared the air here, do you think it’d be okay for me to walk around a little bit?”

Ten tensed in his arms, and Taeyong was quick to placate him. 

“Just this once!” he said. “I promise I won’t ask again while we’re here.”

Ten sighed, but sat up and pinched at Taeyong’s cheek.

“My Tyongie’s just like a little flower, isn’t he? Have I not been giving him enough sunlight?”

“Augh, Teeeen.” Taeyong squirmed. “Please, just for a minute?”

Taeyong knew Ten was weak to his pout, and he squeaked in triumph when Ten finally nodded his assent.

“You have to hold my hand the whole time though, okay?” Ten demanded.

Taeyong stuck out his tongue. “Okay,  _ dad _ ,” he teased, hoping to diffuse the tension that still hung in the room.

Something sparked in Ten’s eyes, but he was quiet as he slipped his fingers between Taeyong’s and drew him off the couch towards the front door. There were two deadbolts that Ten undid with his free hand as well as the smaller standard lock on the door’s handle. Taeyong’s mind flitted back to the bars on the window for a split second; Ten really must have been nervous about being out here in the woods.

The second the door opened, though, all of his worries flew right out of his head. Maybe he  _ was _ like a flower, Taeyong mused, because the sunlight just felt  _ so good _ . Taeyong stepped around Ten, going from being led by the younger man to leading him out of the door and onto the porch. He spread his arms, his right hand still linked to Ten’s, and tilted his face upwards, eyes closed.

When he glanced back at Ten, he saw that he wasn’t smiling as Taeyong was, instead looking unhappy and nervous.

“It’s okay, Tennie,” he said, hoping to reassure him. “I’m right here.”

Ten wouldn’t smile back, though, only tightening his grip on Taeyong’s fingers.

Taeyong felt guilty at his friend’s obvious nerves, but he knew he had to take advantage of this time outdoors since he had promised Ten he wouldn’t ask again. Pulling the reluctant Ten behind him, he walked down the sidewalk towards the driveway. When he got far enough away, he turned around to take the house in, and had to take a sharp breath at the jarring image.

The house was shockingly foreboding, even in the sunlight, the dark, dark wood panelling and bars over the windows making it look downright sinister. Taeyong could hardly believe the contrast between the image in front of him and the light, homey feel Ten had created inside. Suddenly, Taeyong regretted asking to come out here.

Next to him, Ten stood miserably, just watching Taeyong gape at the house.

“It’s all ruined, isn’t it?” he moaned. “I knew it. I knew as soon as you came out here you’d want to leave me and never come back.” He gripped at Taeyong’s forearm with both hands, his hold so tight Taeyong was certain he’d leave bruises.

“No, no way Tennie, I promised, didn’t I? It just kind of makes me want to go back inside.” He giggled. “Right where you want me, right?”

Ten didn’t laugh at his attempt at a joke, only sniffling and nodding in a way that made Taeyong’s heart hurt. “Can we go now?”

“Okay, yeah, I just —” Taeyong turned from the house, ignoring the way that Ten’s hands tightened still further, and tilted his face up towards the sun. Eyes closed, he tried to absorb as much of the outdoors as he could - the warm sunlight, the fresh air, the smell of pine - refreshing his senses and calming the itch he’d been feeling the past few days.

Finally, unable to disregard the pain of Ten’s grip any longer, he lowered his face and smiled at him.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Eagerly, Ten pulled him back up the walk to the house. Taeyong followed obediently, but as they passed over the threshold, he made sure to look back over his shoulder at the picturesque view of grass and sunlight, knowing it was the last unfiltered glimpse he’d get as long as he stayed here with Ten.


	6. What's wrong?

That night, as Taeyong was changing into yet another pair of pink pajamas—this time patterned with tiny foxes—he heard a light knock on the door, followed by Ten’s voice.

“Yongie? Baby, can I come in?”

Taeyong walked over to the door, buttoning his last buttons as he went, and opened it to find Ten standing very timidly in the hallway. He had his hands wrapped around his elbows, and his shoulders were creeping towards his ears.

“Can I come in?” he said again.

Taeyong stood back to let Ten in.

“Everything okay?” he asked as Ten passed him.

Ten nodded, but he was biting his lip as he stood at the foot of Taeyong’s bed.

“Yeah, I’m fine, I just — um — can I sleep here tonight?”

Taeyong was a bit surprised.

“You want to sleep in my bed?”

“Yeah, I mean - if that’s okay? If you don’t want to, I’ll just go away and stop bothering you.”

“Aw, no, Tennie, you’re not bothering me.” Taeyong stepped forward to take Ten’s hand and led him to sit next to him on top of the fluffy white comforter. He wrapped an arm around the younger man’s shoulders. “Of course you can sleep with me. Are you still upset?”

Ten wiggled slightly against Taeyong before looking up and nodding. Taeyong sighed inwardly. All day long after they’d come back inside from Taeyong’s slightly disastrous outing, Ten had been moody and mopey, constantly clinging onto Taeyong and hardly letting him more than two steps out of his sight. The only times that he’d been truly alone were when he was in the bathroom, and there was only so long he could spend in there before he worried Ten would get suspicious.

Still, who was he to deny Ten his comfort when he was so clearly bothered and insecure about the events that had taken place.

“That’s okay Tennie, I’m right here. You can sleep with me if you want to.” He tried to scooch the both of them up the bed so they could get under the covers, but Ten slid abruptly out of his hold and scampered to the door, shutting it tightly.

“Let’s get you tucked in,” he said when he had turned back around, coming up to the side of the bed and trying to tug the edge of the comforter out from under Taeyong.

“Huh? I thought—”

“I’m just helping you get settled, you silly.” Ten’s smile was soft, almost doting. “I’ll get in in a minute.”

Taeyong felt himself blush under Ten’s gaze, and let him pull the bedding over his legs. Ten fluffed his pillows before guiding him to lie down on them, then stacked even more around his head and shoulders. Finally, he pulled the white comforter all the way up to Taeyong’s neck, tucking it under his chin.

When he was finished, he gazed down at Taeyong, his nose suddenly wrinkling as he whined.

“You look so cute like this Yongie!” He flopped dramatically on top of Taeyong, making the air puff out of his lungs, then lifted his head to look at him again. “I swear I’m going to just eat you up one day.”

Taeyong laughed and wriggled, smirking up at Ten. “Too much sugar will rot your teeth, Tennie.”

Ten froze above him, his mouth spreading into an astonished smile.

“Why you little…!”

Then his hands were at his stomach, trying to tickle him through the thick comforter, making him squirm and shriek with laughter. Ten laughed along with him, until they were both panting for breath, and finally Ten made to roll off him onto the other side of the bed. He settled back onto his stomach, peering at Taeyong through his fringe.

“I can’t believe that came out of your mouth,” he giggled.

Taeyong stretched against his pillow and smiled smugly. “I’ve got a way with words.”

Ten rolled his eyes but smiled in a way that told Taeyong he wasn’t actually annoyed.

“Yeah, yeah, well, no more words from you tonight. It’s time for bed.”

“Okay, dad,” Taeyong said, remembering the minute spark that had traveled through Ten’s eyes when he’d called him that earlier. This time, Ten only looked at him quietly for a moment, unreadable, before reaching to turn off the lamp on the bedside table.

Somehow disappointed, Taeyong listened as Ten rustled himself beneath the sheets, the warmth of his body settling beside him. With a small shock, he realized that this was the first time he and Ten had ever shared a bed. If there was one thing that Ten had always been fastidious about, it was sleeping alone. It didn’t matter how late he and Taeyong stayed up at Taeyong’s place playing games, when Taeyong started to get sleepy, he would leave to go back to his own apartment. Or, on the few occasions that Taeyong stayed late at Ten’s, the younger man would always have Taeyong sleep on his bed while he stayed on the couch. It didn’t matter how much Taeyong whined and wheedled in either situation, Ten always stood firm.

Taeyong wondered if Ten was a kicker for a moment, but immediately felt bad for such a thought. Ten was an intensely private person, Taeyong knew that, and the fact that Ten was actually asking to sleep with him showed just how much he was struggling with the day's events.

Taeyong rolled over towards Ten, unsure if he should reach out to him, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the novelty of lying next to him. In the end, he couldn’t quite bring himself to do it, instead just letting his hand lie between them in the empty space on the bed. It rested there, untouched, until he finally fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

The awful, raspy sound of Ten’s breathing woke him, his eyes shooting open to the sound of horse, choked gasps. Disoriented, panicked, Taeyong quickly sat up, leaning over Ten in the darkness. The younger’s eyes were wide open, staring without blinking into the corner of the room. He was trembling, violently, unnaturally shallow breath wheezing out of his lungs.

“Ten?”

He didn’t answer, even though Taeyong was hovering just above him, eyes still fixed on the corner of the room. Taeyong whipped his head around, peering into the darkness, but couldn’t see anything but shadows. He felt himself start to tremble too, not knowing what was going on.

“Ten? Tennie? What is it? What’s wrong??”

Still Ten didn’t answer. His chest heaved as Taeyong desperately put his hands on his shoulders, shaking him gently, afraid to hurt him. At his touch, Ten’s breath seemed to pick up even faster, getting close to hyperventilation, but his eyes slowly slid from the shadows to lock onto Taeyong’s.

Huffing in relief, Taeyong moved his hands to Ten’s cheeks.

“Hey! Hi, Tennie, hi, that’s right, look at me. There’s nothing over there. You’re okay, nothing’s going to hurt you.”

Taeyong wasn’t even sure what he was saying, spitting out all of the comforting words that he could think of, anything to snap Ten out of whatever was going on.

“Here, look, I’ll turn on the light.” The sudden brightness made him blink, but he kept talking, looking into Ten’s eyes. “There, it’s okay, it’s okay, there’s nothing there.”

Ten’s breathing started to slow and Taeyong could feel his limbs twitch just slightly as his gaze flickered from his face to the now brightly lit, obviously empty corner. His eyes started to dampen, but to Taeyong’s relief the utter horror that had filled them was fading.

“That’s right, Tennie, there we go. Nothing scary here, right? It’s just you and me. Can you sit up?”

Ten’s arms and legs jerked again but seemed to have no strength to push him upwards. He let out a small muffled moan, tears spilling over onto his cheeks.

Taeyong thumbed them away as they fell. “That’s okay honey, concentrate on calming down first. Try taking some deep breaths, okay?”

Still twitching and groaning, it was obvious that Ten was fighting hard against whatever state he was in, despite Taeyong’s constant shushing and soothing words. He closed his eyes tight against Taeyong’s face, and with one last deep, wheezing breath, propelled himself out of Taeyong’s arms to face the wall.

“I _can’t_ ,” he cried, his right arm flopping across his body, still useless, and his legs tangled in the sheets. “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t—”

“Shh, Tennie, shh, in and out, you can do it.”

Ten’s body heaved beneath him as he sobbed.

“I want to, I want to, I can’t, I can’t, I _have_ to—”

Suddenly, Taeyong wasn’t so sure he was talking about being able to breathe.

“Have to what, Tennie?” he asked, snaking his arm around Ten’s front to try and get him to face him.

“No! No!” Ten thrashed, but Taeyong held on. “I _can’t_ ! Let me _GO_!”

With all of his strength, Ten pushed away from Taeyong, landing on his hands and knees on the floor.

For a moment neither man spoke, Taeyong staring as Ten trembled on the ground. Eventually, he managed to stand.

“I’m gonna go downstairs to, uh, clean up the garage. You should sleep.”

“I - What about you?”

“I won’t be able to sleep,” he said shortly. “I’ll see you in the morning Yongie.”

Taeyong sat frozen as the door closed behind him, unsure of what to do now. His first instinct had always been to offer comfort, but everything about Ten told him it wouldn’t be appreciated right now. What in the world had just happened?

Despite Ten’s instructions to go back to bed, Taeyong knew that he wouldn’t be able to get any sleep until he got some answers. He reached instinctively over to his bedside table for his phone before remembering that Ten hadn’t given it back to him since they arrived here, saying that it would ruin the relaxing atmosphere. Well, he surely wouldn’t mind him using it tonight, would he? As quietly as he could, Taeyong crept over to the door and opened it just a crack. Ten wasn’t in the hallway, so he padded carefully to Ten’s room, finding the door open and the room empty.

As he looked around the room, he spotted Ten’s own phone lying on top of his dresser, charging. Perfect, now he didn’t even have to search for his. Quickly, he pulled up Ten’s browser app and started searching the symptoms he had just witnessed in his friend.   
As he scrolled through the results, one thing became clear: Ten had without a doubt had an episode of what was called “sleep paralysis.”

The medical pages that he read said that it occurred when a person’s brain “woke up” before the rest of their body, their muscles still shut down from the REM stage of sleep. In an attempt to process the strange and unusual sensation of being unable to move, the brain could then produce the sensation of great fear and even create hallucinations, often of figures standing in the same room as the sleeper.

The sites also said that the episodes could be brought on by stress, which made Taeyong feel horrible. He couldn’t help but feel as if he was partially at fault for Ten having to experience such a horrifying thing, with the way that he had pushed him so far out of his comfort zone that day. As he made his way back to his room after deleting his search history from Ten’s phone, he promised himself he would do his very best to make sure it never happened again because of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that I've depicted sleep paralysis well, I know that it can be pretty horrifying for those who suffer from it. If you see any inaccuracies in the way that I've portrayed things, please let me know!
> 
> Also, thank you to everyone who's left comments so far! It's really encouraging to see your reactions to everything <3


	7. What are you doing?

Taeyong tried his best to leave well enough alone the next day, he really did. He knew that Ten didn’t want to talk about it; the way that he greeted Taeyong with a smile when he came down in the morning and the way he babbled on at breakfast made that clear. Still, Taeyong’s mind spun on at a million miles per hour, thinking about everything that had happened this past week, everything that he had glossed over and dismissed that had culminated in yesterday’s strange events.

It was becoming obvious to Taeyong that Ten was experiencing issues of some kind, and it seemed equally as obvious that he was trying to deflect those problems by focussing on Taeyong. Why else would he have brought Taeyong out here, why else would he be so intent on catering to Taeyong’s every need? Even those things that had been driving Taeyong to anxiety just yesterday made more sense now in the light of this revelation. 

The new clothes for Taeyong? Ten wanted to pamper and baby him, his anxieties manifesting into actual baby-ish items.

The bars on the windows? Ten wanted to keep the world out as much as possible, including physically.

Keeping Taeyong indoors? Ten really  _ was _ afraid that Taeyong would leave him, taking his safety blanket and coping mechanism with him.

Taeyong was no psychiatrist, but he was almost certain of his assessment of Ten’s issues. The only thing left was to find the root of these problems. He wanted so much to help Ten, to figure out what was wrong so he could make it better.

“Ten?”

They were sitting in the sauna again, letting the steam seep into their pores. Ten blinked his eyes open from where he was resting his head against the cedar-planked wall.

“Mm?”

“How long did you ask off of work for us?”

One of Taeyong’s first questions to Ten after their tour the first day had been about his job. Ten had told him that he’d called and been able to pull some strings to get Taeyong the time off to come out here and relax. 

“If I tell you, you’re not going to be able to relax properly,” Ten pouted. “I know you, you’ll just worry about when you need to be back.”

Ten was right, of course. Taeyong would definitely be more focused on the minutes and seconds counting down until they had to return, but Taeyong hadn’t asked for himself. He wanted to know if Ten was really trying to run away from his problems, whatever they were, or if this really was just a fun little getaway like he’d said. He opened his mouth to clarify, but Ten continued before he could get anything out.

“Besides, you hate that place. Pretty sure ‘soul-sucking’ was the word you used the last time we talked about it.”

Taeyong pouted, distracted by the statement. “Yes, I know, but I have to make money somehow, right? I can’t go missing for weeks and expect them not to fire me while I’m gone.”

Ten’s gaze had sharpened at Taeyong’s illusion to going missing, but then his eyes shut and he leaned back, like he was contemplating something.

“You think people will actually care if you disappear?”

Taeyong gaped at him. “Wha—”

“I mean,” Ten opened his eyes again, mouth folding into a smirk. “do your co-workers even really talk to you outside of work?”

Taeyong opened his mouth to argue, but Ten was still talking.

“Do they even talk to you while you’re  _ at _ work? Aren’t you so lonely all the time?”

Taeyong felt his face flatten with anger.

“That’s absolutely not funny, Ten.”

At once, Ten was on top of him, arms wrapping around his bare waist. “Ah, no, Yongie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You don’t have to be lonely cuz you have me, right? You’re my Yongie forever and I’m your Tennie forever, aren’t we? I’m sorry, sweetie, I took it too far.”

Taeyong nodded, letting Ten nuzzle against his shoulder. Technically, Ten wasn’t wrong about his job. Actually, he had pretty much hit the nail on the head. Taeyong  _ did _ hate his job, and it  _ was _ soul-sucking and lonely. He’d never imagined he’d end up at an insurance call center after graduating college with a music theory degree, but he hadn’t been able to cut it in the music industry, not even as a song-writer or producer. So instead, he sat all day in a tiny cubicle surrounded by hundreds of others just like it, answering the telephone non-stop, having to tell the people who called in why the insurance company wouldn’t be able to cover this medication or that procedure, listening to their desperate and angry voices and being unable to do anything about it. It exhausted him, his emotions drained enough to make him physically tired and unable to even try to strike up friendships with his coworkers, usually spending all of his break time forcing a few bites of food down his throat and sleeping in his car instead.

His developing depression and loneliness had been what had led him to the first time he’d met Ten, actually. He’d been sitting at a bar near his house, drinking himself into a stupor, when Ten had plopped himself down in the seat next to him, looking straight into his eyes and asking him for his story. Taeyong had been drunk enough to give it to him in full, from his crushed dreams of becoming a star to the horrible, lonely mess his life had become. Ten had just listened intently, not speaking once until Taeyong had finished speaking and was trying desperately not to let his tears fall down his face.

“I think I can help,” Ten had said, making Taeyong look up in surprise.

Ten had explained that he was an assistant producer at a well known entertainment company, and he was sure that with his help Taeyong could finally live out his dreams. Since that moment, Taeyong and Ten had been nearly inseparable, meeting up constantly, at first just for Ten to look over Taeyong’s songs that he had written and give him advice on different pieces of the industry, then more and more simply to hang out and enjoy each other’s company.

It had been a few years since that first meeting, and Taeyong was still working the same mind-numbing call center position, still wasn’t a star, but he still had faith in Ten and Ten’s promise that he would be.

“Yeah, together forever,” he told Ten, allowing the younger man to snuggle against him, smoothing his hands down his bare back. He held him close until he whined about getting way too sweaty for even a sauna, both of them giggling together as they towelled off and put back on their clothes to go do whatever relaxation activity Ten had cooked up next.

 

By the time Taeyong even remembered he was going to ask Ten when they were going home, it was already late evening, the plates from dinner already cleared off the table. Ten had shooed Taeyong out of the kitchen, saying that it was his responsibility to wash the dishes since Taeyong had cooked, so Taeyong was curled up in the corner of the couch, left to his own thoughts. His mind ran over and over what he could do to help Ten with whatever was bothering him. Throughout the day they had done their normal relaxation activities, and Ten seemed to be in a much better mood now than he had been in the morning. Maybe Taeyong could get him to talk about it just a little bit, to get some things off his chest, and then it might be easier to convince him that hiding out in the middle of the woods wouldn’t help anything.

When Ten re-emerged from the kitchen, Taeyong immediately held out his arms to him. Ten looked delighted and skipped over to him, throwing himself down onto the couch and into Taeyong’s embrace.

Stroking Ten’s hair slowly, Taeyong hesitated for just a moment before speaking.

“How are you feeling now Tennie?”

Ten stiffened again and leaned away.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Are you sure?” Taeyong prodded. “If you tell me, maybe I can do something.”

“I said no.”

“Well, when are we going home? We can’t just st—”

“I already told you I’m not saying,” Ten said coldly.

Taeyong felt himself starting to get angry again, but tried to hold it in.

“I’m just trying to understand why you’re keeping me in the dark, Tennie. You know I love spending time with you, and it’s been really relaxing being here, but I have responsibilities back home, and you do too. I’ve been following along with everything you’ve been saying because I can tell you’re having a hard time with something, but I’m just starting to get worried. Do you see where I’m coming from? I just want to help, and it’s not fair to me that you’re keeping what you’re feeling to yourself, since I’m being affected too.”

Taeyong thought he’d done a pretty admirable job of keeping his voice steady and even, but Ten’s face had gone absolutely flat and blank, devoid of emotion.

“Why do you care for me, Taeyong?”

“What?” Of all the responses Taeyong had expected of Ten, this wasn’t one of them. “You’re my friend, Tennie, of course I care for you.”

“What if I don’t tell you when you can leave? If I don’t tell you what’s wrong? Will you still care for me then?”

Ten’s expression still hadn’t changed. It was starting to unnerve Taeyong, but he made himself answer.

“Yes, I’ll still care. I might be angry, but I just want to help.”

Finally, finally, a tiny smile bloomed on Ten’s face. “Oh, that’s good to hear. And you’ll still listen to me?”

“Um.” Taeyong didn’t think it would be a good idea to feed into Ten’s delusion, or whatever was going on. “I-I mean—”

Ten’s face went hard again and Taeyong swallowed. 

“Will you do as I say or not.”

Taeyong didn’t know what he should do. It was even more obvious now that something was wrong with Ten, but, with the way he was acting, Taeyong didn’t know if it would be better to push him into talking or to just go along with everything for now. Taeyong had never been a very assertive person, though, and he didn’t think that he could start now. So instead, he nodded.

“I-I’ll listen,” he said.

With that, Ten broke out into a beam. Taeyong’s heart fluttered, though he wasn’t sure if it was in relief or anticipation of what would come next.

“Why don’t you follow me then?” Despite Ten’s voice returning to its normal sweetness, Taeyong recognized the question as a command, not a suggestion. He rose alongside Ten, and followed him out of the living room, past the kitchen, and down the hall towards the garage.

Despite himself, Taeyong started to get curious. Ten hadn’t let him go into the garage yet, saying that he was fixing it up a little and he didn’t want Taeyong to see it yet. And really, what would Taeyong have needed in the garage that wasn’t in the house already, provided by Ten the second he needed it?

Still Taeyong couldn’t help but feel a little excited to see what Ten had been working on. It was almost enough to make him forget Ten’s strange behavior from a moment ago, right up until the younger man turned around to face him directly in front of the garage door.

He wasn’t wearing a blank face anymore, but the expression he did have on was difficult to read. It was almost a searching look, like he was looking for something in Taeyon’s own face, mixed with something Taeyong thought looked like pity, as well as maybe excitement of his own? Taeyong wasn’t sure, but it made his stomach swoop unpleasantly.

Ten didn’t speak for a long moment, just looking at Taeyong, then reached behind him and opened up the door. The garage behind it was cast in shadow, lit only by the light streaming in from the hallway, yet Ten made no move to find a light as he stepped inside, gesturing for Taeyong to follow.

The first thing Taeyong saw in the dark room made any excitement he had left fall away completely.

He was looking at a chain, thick and weighty, bolted at one end to the floor, and at the other, capped with a solid metal cuff.

Taeyong was frozen, staring at the manacle, uncomprehending.

“Ten, what the fuc—”

“I’m sorry, Yongie. This is for the best.”

Taeyong whirled, catchin a fleeting glimpse of his friend before the door shut behind him, plunging him into complete darkness. A loud click echoed through the large space after it. 

Immediately, Taeyong was at the door. He felt for the knob, twisting it, tugging and pulling, but it wouldn’t budge. Ten had locked him in here, in the dark, with the chains bolted to the floor and who knew what else.

“Ten? Ten! What are you doing?! Let me out!”

“I’m sorry baby, really, I am.” He could hear Ten’s voice crack through the door, sounding as close to tears as Taeyong felt, true fear running through his veins for the first time. “If there was any other way, I would do it, but this is the best thing for both of us. I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

Taeyong sobbed at his words. “Tennie,  _ please _ ! I don’t know what’s going on, but you don’t have to do this! Let me out, we can talk about it!”

He heard muffled sounds of crying through the door, but no answer came.

“Tennie!! Please, please, please, stop this,  _ please _ …”

The sounds of Ten’s crying through the door were weakening, and Taeyong heard the floor creak down the hall. The realization that Ten was walking away zapped through him.

“ _ No!! _ ” he shrieked. “ _ Ten!! TEN!! _ ”

He fumbled for the doorknob again, rattling as hard as he could, but the door wouldn’t budge.

“ _ TEN!!  _ GET  _ FUCKING _ BACK HERE!! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!  _ TEN!! _ ”

It was quickly becoming apparent that Ten wasn’t coming back to let him out. Taeyong sunk to his knees, letting himself cry loudly as he pounded on the door with his fists. He screamed and sobbed until his voice was sore and his hands and nails were bloody, but nothing made a difference. The door remained closed and locked, trapping him in the darkness.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by [bury a friend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1r3KDb0Vx0) by Billie Eilish


End file.
